Chapter 431, Those Who Are Near Ink Will Be Blackened (First Update)

He turned the steering wheel slightly, and Li Mochan glanced at her from the corner of his eye, a dark sparkle of laughter flickering in his inky eyes amidst the dim light. "Because proximity to red makes you red and proximity to ink makes you black."

Upon hearing this, Ye Jiuliang’s gaze swept coolly towards him. "Are you praising me or belittling me with that remark?"

"Praising you," Li Mochan lied shamelessly.

Like she would believe his nonsense, Ye Jiuliang slapped his arm irritably. "Keep joking around, Li Mochan."

Her gentle force was like a tickling sensation for Li Mochan, who took the opportunity to grab her slightly cool hand.

Ye Jiuliang glanced at him indifferently but let him hold on to her hand, pretending it was like holding a warm stove for comfort.

The night air was cool as water, leaves on the ground rustling with the wind.

The streetlights cast an orange glow as the roar of the sports car cut through the night, adding to the noise of the evening.

The car window was half open, the scenery outside swiftly retreating.

Suddenly, Ye Jiuliang’s gaze was drawn to a figure not far away.

Opposite the entrance to Mo Garden, a young man was huddled under a tree, his deer-like eyes staring intently at Mo Garden, flickering occasionally with hopeful light.

How did this guy find his way here?

Ye Jiuliang raised an eyebrow, "Mohan, stop the car."

Li Mochan had also noticed the figure under the tree, recognized the baby-faced look, and a hint of displeasure crossed his brow.

He turned off the ignition and parked the car.

The figure crouching under the tree suddenly charged over like a wild horse freed from its reins.

Ye Jiuliang opened the door and got out of the car, the young man standing motionless in front of her.

"Sister," Mo Chen’s voice was warm and slightly raised, as if coaxing.

"..."

Meeting his bright eyes, Ye Jiuliang’s lips twitched.

"What are you doing here?"

He answered swiftly, "Looking for you."

"What for?"

"This is for you." Holding up a large bag in front of him, Mo Chen smiled brightly.

"Bang—"

A door slamming interrupted them, and when Mo Chen glimpsed the person getting out from the other side of the car, his smile froze for a few seconds.

Li Mochan walked around the car to Ye Jiuliang’s side and extended his hand to embrace her into his arms.

His cold, deep gaze swept over Mo Chen, and finally, the familiar three words hit Mo Chen like a bucket of cold water, "Stand further back."

"I’m already more than a meter away." Intimidated by Li Mochan deep down, Mo Chen protested quietly.

As he spoke, his stomach inappropriately rumbled with a strange noise.

"Gurgle..."

Mo Chen held the bag in one hand and his stomach with the other, the burning heat spreading to his cheeks and earlobes.

Seeing his reddened ears, Ye Jiuliang nearly burst out laughing.

"Haven’t you had dinner?"

Mo Chen hung his head low, murmuring a faint assent.

He had gone back to get the present for her after leaving Beisen and then had been waiting here ever since.

"Gift, here." He lifted the bag up to her.

Ye Jiuliang didn’t reach out to take it, just glanced at the bag and said, "We’re not close, why are you giving me a gift?"

Hearing the words "not close," Mo Chen finally looked up, his gaze defiantly meeting hers as he emphasized, "You are my sister."

Seeing his serious expression, Ye Jiuliang couldn’t help but find it amusing. "My mom only gave birth to me. Where did a little brother come from, huh?"

Mo Chen was at a loss for words.

After a while, he sheepishly looked away and mumbled, "Anyway, you are my sister."

"Enough, go home and dream on. I won’t accept the gift, just go back," Ye Jiuliang said.

"And don’t loiter around me in the future."

After she had finished speaking, she turned around and sat in the car. Li Mochan closed the car door and walked around to the other side to get in.

The sound of the car engine started up again, and Mo Chen, with his brows lowered, clenched the bag in his hand tighter and tighter.

The car drove into Mo Garden, and the gate closed behind them once more.

Once winter arrived, the weather in the capital changed faster than a person could change their face.

After Ye Jiuliang had taken a shower, she came out and saw that light rain had started to fall outside the window, to her surprise.

Li Mochan followed her out and noticed she was standing still, so he reached out and tousled her wet, uncombed hair, making it even messier.

"What are you spacing out for?"

Ye Jiuliang, in her slippers, walked over to the French windows. "It’s started to rain outside."

Li Mochan followed behind her. What he was really hoping for was an eager snowfall; as for the rain, it had nothing to do with him.

The French windows weren’t closed. Ye Jiuliang walked straight out into the hazy curtain of rain. The warm light from the street lamps barely illuminated the courtyard.

"Come back inside quickly. The wind is strong. Be careful not to catch a cold," Li Mochan urged her with a gentle voice.

Ye Jiuliang withdrew her gaze. In the dim light, the figure standing in the rainy night appeared frail and forlorn.

He still hasn’t left?

Is that guy really missing a screw?

Ye Jiuliang frowned and turned back into the house.

She closed the French windows, and the warm air of the bedroom enveloped her.

"Mo, he hasn’t left yet."

Li Mochan’s large hand, which was shaking out the blankets, paused. He set down the blanket and looked back at her. His voice was cold and deep, "The guy at the door?"

Ye Jiuliang nodded helplessly.

"Want to go down and have a look?" Li Mochan walked over and took her into his arms.

Ye Jiuliang hesitated, burying herself in his chest without speaking.

After a long while, she lifted her head to look into the man’s eyes, deep as a cold pool, "Is there any instant noodles left in the kitchen?"

Li Mochan curved his lips and gently rubbed her nose with his own.

The rain was getting heavier, with no sign of stopping.

Mo Chen hugged the bag tightly, his whole body drenched, and he gazed at the sealed gate with a dim look in his eyes.

Suddenly, the heavy gates rolled open automatically with a creaking sound.

Mo Chen’s eyes brightened for a moment, but in the next second, when he saw the person walking through the curtain of rain, the hope that had been ignited in his eyes dimmed once again.

It wasn’t his sister.

The guard handed him an umbrella. "The lady has asked you to come in."

Mo Chen was stunned. The surprise came so quickly he could hardly believe it.

"The lady you’re talking about is Ye Jiuliang?"

The guard nodded. Mo Chen ran in excitedly, not even keeping hold of the umbrella.

Following the intensity of the light, Mo Chen dashed through the rain and finally managed to find the location of the living room.

He burst into the living room, unexpectedly meeting two lines of sight. Mo Chen stopped in his tracks.

Holding the bag, he felt somewhat uneasy.

Suddenly, a clean towel was draped over his head.

Mo Chen reached up to tug at the towel and blinked, his lips, having lost their color from the cold, parted into a smile.

Ye Jiuliang found the foolish smile on his face to be a bit too much to handle.

She kept a straight face, expressionless, "What are you laughing at? Don’t you know to go home when it rains? Standing outside getting drenched, are you seeking misery?"

Shivering intensely, Mo Chen’s lips quivered, and his voice trembled slightly at the end, "Gift."

Looking at the bag he handed over, Ye Jiuliang didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. What on earth made him so stubborn?

"What gift?"

Ignorant to his still-drenched condition, Mo Chen crouched down and pulled a large box out of the bag. Placing it on the table as if it were a treasure, he said, "Lego bricks, it’s a motorcycle. I’ve already assembled it for you."

With that, he carefully took the assembled motorcycle out of the box and placed it in front of Ye Jiuliang.